Our 11 year old son was diagnosed with ADHD almost two years ago and began taking daily concerta, which has helped significantly. However, he was already on the smaller end for his age prior to taking the medication but has found it very difficult to get the calories he needs. We have tried everything and it seems as though nothing is working (he has since slowed on the growth chart). His younger brother has almost caught up with him in height and weight. We are having a difficult time in managing and very worried that his peers will soon be hitting puberty, furthering growth gaps. Would appreciate any advice.
ADHD and Stunted Growth in Adolescent - CHADD's ADHD Pare...
ADHD and Stunted Growth in Adolescent
We delayed increasing our 12yo daughters dose of Adderall due to the same thing. We ended up adding in Guanfacine instead of increasing her Adderall which has worked well.
I’m thinking of taking her to a nutritionist to see if they have any suggestions. We also took her to an Endocrinologist to check her bone age to see if she needed to be on anything to stimulate growth.
There was a good article in ADHD Weekly last week disproving connection between stimulant meds and growth retardation. However, insufficient calories can affect growth. What worked for us was high calorie foods. We would give him a Jiff Natural peanut butter bowl together with cream of wheat or oatmeal with breakfast (and sometimes another peanut butter bowl with other meals). These are high calarie but healthy. Also gave him icecream every day. He was told it was a reward for doing his best (which gave it a double benefit). Icecream also isn't unhealthy, just high calorie. Adults would gain too much weight if they ate it everyday, but your concern for your child is just the opposite. Plus ADHD is tough enough. Icecream everyday seems like pretty good childhood to me! Finally, I'll say that this problem will alleviate itself when your son is a teenager. There doesn't seem to be a medication which can curb the appetite of a teenage boy!. My son still takes his meds (of course), but eats constantly. BTW, he just turned 17 and is 6'2 and about 185lbs. I am 6,1" for comparison. Good luck 👍
When I was complaining here about my son’s appetite suppression and poor sleep other parents recommended Periactin which is antihistamine with a well evidence safety profile use in children. You could ask your doctor.
For us apart from all the other side effects of stimulants this was the major reason why I wanted to stop stimulants for my son all together. He has never been a good eater even though he loves trying new food and going to various different restaurants abroad etc. We are a ‘foody’ family- white pizza with offal, chicken livers with cherries, crab pasta etc…I couldn’t take his complete appetite suppression on stimulants. Food is fun and a social thing- big outings with family and friends and so on… And him with dry mouth and hyper focus and pressure of speech- not able to eat, it was just breaking my heart.
Since we switched him to Atomoxetine I have never looked back. His appetite is back, actually first day on Atomoxetine he said ‘Mummy I like this medication because it makes me want to eat more.’ I don’t know how it works because Atomoxetine is also appetite suppressant but not as severe as stimulants.
He now on 50th centile for hight for boys his age (so exactly average) and 60th centile for weight! And to put it in a context - I am tiny, about 7stone and a bit and 156 tall (I can buy kids clothes for myself 😄). My hubby is short as well but we both have tall people in both sides of family. So anyway, I think non stimulants agree better with developmental stage for children where appropriate food intake, good slee for brain development, growing and developing (puberty) is important…
I understand your concern. My son was the same during adolescence, but I assure you, he will eventually catch up. He is now 21 and taller than his dad.